Skinny Love
by evanescentblaze
Summary: They both really care about each other but can only show it through the little things. A collection of one-shots for TsengxElena. Part of my random word project.
1. Clocking Out Early

**So I decided to practice writing by randomly generating a word on the internet and then using it sort of as a theme for a one-shot. I figured it would motivate me to write more. I mostly plan to use this to write some Tselena fics, but who knows? I might write about some other couples as well. **

**Anyway, here's the first one. It's set right after Advent Children when Elena finally returns to work after being out for a week or two, recuperating. The word that was generated was "sleep".**

**Oh, and don't own FFVII. Which is unfortunate.**

* * *

><p><strong>Clocking Out Early<strong>

The only sound was the soft hum of the computers and air conditioning system. Other than that, the office was quiet. Elena was glad that everybody else had already gone home. Now nobody would notice that she hadn't. They were used to seeing her work late anyway. There was always so much paperwork and Elena always felt like she was behind. That's what came with being a Turk though. Lots of late nights and early mornings. The only difference this time was, she planned on working well through the night. Maybe she'd actually get all of her work done this time. At the very least, she couldn't go home. She'd rather be alone here than there.

She pulled out the file she had started several weeks ago. Between the chaos Kadaj and his brothers had caused and the amount of time she had spent recovering from dealing with them, she'd barely been in the office long enough to work on it. Not that she had minded then. She had dreaded working on it. Now however, she was almost happy to be finishing. It wouldn't be hanging over her head anymore and it would distract her for the next several hours.

She was so busy typing that she didn't notice the figure that appeared in her doorway.

"Elena?"

She jumped, nearly knocking over a stack of papers beside her. She spun around and let out a breath, trying to calm her heart down once she realized it was just him.

"Tseng. Why are you still here?"

"I was just about to ask you the same question," he said, moving further into her office.

She looked away from him, feeling nervous for some reason. She didn't know why. She had no reason to. But maybe it was because the last time the two of them had been alone together had been when they were being tortured by Kadaj and his brothers. Her mind skittered. She shouldn't think about that…

"I was planning on catching up on some paperwork," she said. "Rufus wanted this file two weeks ago."

"Yes, but you were in the hospital then. I'm sure he understands if it's a little late."

She blushed, refusing to meet his dark eyes that were scrutinizing her. She spoke, trying to keep her voice steady. "Well, I just thought I'd finish it now since I'm back and the Remnants are gone—"

"The doctor said that you should take it easy for the next couple of weeks," Tseng said, sternly cutting her off. "That means regular hours only. No overtime."

She risked a glance at him. "You're here, aren't you?"

"Yes, but I wasn't injured as badly as you."

Elena winced. It's true. The Remnants had tortured her the most. Probably because they knew she was weaker and it had been easier to make her scream. They had put her through all kinds of pain hoping she'd surrender. She hadn't. By sheer force of will and probably a slight miracle, she hadn't. The worst part of it all, however, had to be that they had made Tseng watch. She'd been reduced to a screaming, crying, broken girl right in front of him, a fact that she tried to ignore but always managed to slip into her mind whenever they were in the same room. She never even saw them torture him. They'd only start after she passed out. When she came to, she would only notice the new bruise on his jaw, the gash on his forehead, or the trail of blood that ran down his arm, staining his shirt sleeve. She knew that he had more wounds that she couldn't see. He'd be breathing hard, his voice laced with pain as he called to her.

"Elena?"

"Sir?" she'd rasp out.

His eyes would close then, relief on his face. A small part of her liked that he was so concerned for her, but she knew that it would probably be better if she just died. Then Elena couldn't screw up by telling the brothers what they wanted to know. Tseng would never tell, no matter what they did to him, but she wasn't so sure she was strong enough. It occurred to her though that if she did die then there would be no one to distract them from torturing Tseng just as badly as they were torturing her, and she couldn't stand that thought. So she willed herself to live. To live and keep silent.

"You're…doing well," he said one time, when the Remnants had left them alone for a while. His breathing was labored. Elena stopped herself from moaning as a new wave of pain hit her when she tried to turn towards him.

She tried licking her lips. Her throat was dry and scratched from screaming so much. She felt better talking to him though. It made everything hurt a little less. "Actually, I've…been better."

Tseng started to smile, but it turned into a grimace.

"Tseng?" she had said, allowing herself to enjoy the sound of his name in her mouth.

"Yes?" he answered.

"No…no matter what they do…to me," she said, coughing between words. "You won't…you won't give in, right?"

Something strange had passed over Tseng's face then, but Elena felt so hazy she wasn't quite sure what it was. She wondered if she had made him angry. He was a Turk, of course he wouldn't give in. She was stupid for asking. Now it seemed like she was questioning his abilities.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out quickly, or at least as quickly as she could without breaking into a coughing fit. "I just…I don't want to die for nothing."

"You're not going to die," he said. He did sound angry now. She looked away from him, feeling ashamed. She didn't want him to be mad at her. She didn't want that to be the last thing she remembered of him.

She heard him sigh. There was a slight rustling sound as he shifted. "Elena, look at me."

She reluctantly obeyed, dragging her eyes to meet his.

He now looked calm, his expression almost gentle. His voice was soft when he spoke to her. "I won't tell them anything," he said. "But only because both of us are going to get through this. Those bastards won't get anything, and we're both going to live. You got that?"

Elena was surprised at the certainty in his voice. They were hardly in a position to be rescued. Nobody knew where they were. If it wasn't Tseng, she would have called him crazy. But it was, so all she did was nod and murmured out an "okay."

It turns out he was right.

Tseng was now looking down at her, looking slightly guilty. "Working late is not going to help you recuperate," he said.

She paused. "I'm not tired."

"That's not the point." He stepped up closer to her desk. "Elena, what's wrong?"

She closed her eyes. She should have known she couldn't keep anything from Tseng. He always saw right through her.

"I can't sleep," she finally admitted. "I keep having nightmares about…" She trailed off.

Tseng understood though. She was confused when he reached up, loosening his tie. "Come with me," he said. She hesitated only slightly before following him out of her office and into the break room. "Take those off," he said, nodding at her tie and jacket, removing his own. "They don't matter this late at night anyway."

Elena slowly obeyed as Tseng poured two cups of tea. He handed one to her. "Drink this. It'll help calm you down," he said.

She took a cautious sip. She wasn't a huge tea person, but this was good. It had a slight orange flavor to it mixed with some other spice that slid nicely over her tongue and throat. It was warm and soothing too. She took another sip. Tseng watched her as she did only drinking from his cup after she had some of hers.

"I've been having trouble too," he said, breaking the small silence that had settled between them. Elena blinked in surprise, first that Tseng also had problems, second that he was admitting it to her. She had never thought Tseng would be affected by it as much as she was though. He was always so much stronger than her.

"I've been staying here since I got back," he continued. "I found it easier to distract myself with work than face the nightmares."

Elena nodded, looking down. "It is easier."

Tseng sipped his tea. "But it's not practical. We're going to have to face it eventually."

"I know." She held her empty cup between her hands having a sudden urge to crush it with frustration. "I just don't know how."

Her eyes widened when Tseng reached across the table and grabbed one of her hands. She looked up at him, a blush crossing her face, both surprised and pleased. His hand was warm on hers and it sent a pleasant chill up her arm.

"Easy," he said, pulling her onto her feet. "The same way we got through the real thing." He led her to the couch. It was the spot where many Turks, especially Reno, took power naps. It wasn't as big or soft as her bed, but it served its purpose if needed. When Tseng pulled her down onto it though, she was surprised how comfortable it felt. Or maybe it was just how nice it felt to have her back pressed against Tseng's chest as he wrapped his arms around her, laying them down together. Elena's heart fluttered. Could this really be happening?

It was. Tseng pressed his lips against her ear. "I'm right here," he said, softly. "It'll be alright."

Elena clung onto his arm, squeezing it slightly to let him know that she was there for him too.

_Together_, she realized. That's how they would make it through this.

It didn't take long before the firm wall of muscle behind her and the sweet oriental smell that filled her senses lulled her to sleep. She didn't dream that night. Neither did Tseng.

It was the best night of sleep either of them had ever had.

* * *

><p><strong>So, I hope it was okay. I might have gone a little OOC with Tseng, huh? I'm not sure. I've never played the game before, but don't worry I'm working on fixing that. Please review if you have time. I really need constructive criticism on my writing. Pretty pretty please? No? Oh...okay then. Can't blame a girl for asking.<strong>

**I hope you all have a lovely day!**


	2. Saved Your Life

**Sorry it took me a little bit to get this up. I've had it written for a while, I was just too busy to edit it. It's rather short and not the best thing I've ever written, but hopefully it didn't turn out too bad.**

**This doesn't have a specific setting. Just kind of a random fight, probably happening more when Elena was still a little rookie-ish. I guess...I don't really know. Lol.**

**The word generated was "save".**

* * *

><p><strong>Saved Your Life<strong>

Elena's gun flew out of her hand as the man barreled into her. She cursed inwardly as it landed a few feet away, far out of reach. To stop herself from falling, she latched onto the man's arm. With as much strength as she could, she punched him square in the face. She smiled slightly at the surprise on his face as the force sent him stumbling backwards. Before he could find his bearings, she kicked him in the stomach and then brought her elbow down on the base of his neck. He collapsed to the ground.

When he didn't move, Elena was satisfied that he was unconscious. She bent down to retrieve her gun when she heard the click of a firearm being unlocked. She had barely turned when another man who had snuck up on her fired. Suddenly, a huge weight crashed into her from the side. The next thing she knew, her back was hurting and she was on the ground, Tseng's body on top of her. She sucked in air, winded from the impact. The man pointed his gun again and was about to shoot, but Elena was quicker. Gripping her gun, which she had thankfully managed to pick up before Tseng had pushed her out of the way, she threw her arm out from under Tseng's body and fired. The man's head jerked backwards and he fell, his gun clattering to the floor. She breathed out in relief when the man didn't get up. That relief faded quickly however when she saw the dark stain on Tseng's sleeve.

"Tseng?" She pushed herself up, rolling him off her. He hissed in pain and grabbed his arm. "Shit," she said. "Let me see it."

"It's lodged in there," he said, gritting his teeth as she examined the wound. "It'll be fine though. Check the men first."

Elena hesitated, but knew better than to argue. She got up and checked their targets. "This one's still alive, but the other's dead," she informed him.

"Tie the live one up. Give Reno and Rude our position so they can dispose of the other body and collect a prisoner. We can interrogate him."

Elena obeyed. When she was done with calling Reno, she walked over to Tseng who had managed to take his jacket off and was trying to bandage his arm with some difficulty.

"Let me do it, sir," she said.

He handed the bandage to her wordlessly. She wrapped the wound carefully making sure it was just tight enough without actually hurting him more.

"It should be easy for the doctor to get that out," she said, packing up the medical supplies when she was done.

"Let's just hope that it's less painful getting out than it was going in," he said, moving his arm gingerly.

"I'm sorry, sir," she said, ashamed. "I should have been more careful."

He stood up. "No point in worrying about it now. Just be more aware next time."

"Yes, sir," she said.

He started to turn away.

"Sir?"

He turned his head slightly to look back at her. "Yes?"

"Thank you for saving me."

He blinked, his face expressionless. "You're my partner, Elena. If I can help it, I'll always be there to save you."

Elena was glad that he walked away right after that. She didn't want him to see the bright pink blush that bloomed on her face when he did.

* * *

><p><strong>So, was Tseng a little better in this one? I'm trying, I swear! Thanks to everyone who reviewed and to everyone who will review (hopefully). I'll try to get the next one up quicker but my spring break is ending and I recently got addicted to playing Final Fantasy 8 (I still need to find the 7th one. ARGH it's killing me!) so it might be just as slow. :( I have other fics I'm trying to get up too.<strong>

**Anyway, hope everyone has a beautiful day! :)**


	3. Closer to You

**Hey guys! Sorry it took a while to update. I've just been busy with school and trying to wrap up all my senior stuff (not to mention battling senioritis...) Anyway, don't be too mad because I HAVE been writing. I've just been too busy or lazy to edit them. So I have several stories lined up, just need to polish them a little...or a lot. But hopefully it'll be up sooner than this one took.**

**So, this is just a little thing between Tseng and Elena when she's first getting on the job and Tseng has to train her a little bit. The word that was given was "gun." And obviously in their line of work, there was a lot I could do with it, so much that my mind went a little crazy and I got a little overwhelmed and the only thing that survived was this. Sorry it's not super, but I've just been trying to finish school, which I will be done with after tomorrow. (WOOT!)**

**Please let me know what you think! (Or if you have any requests/ideas for me.)**

* * *

><p><strong>Closer to You<strong>

Tseng studied the new recruit as she practiced putting her gun together. It was slightly entertaining to watch, if not for the fact that she actually looked like she was having fun, then for the fact that she was doing it instead of practicing shooting like she should have been. She would set the pieces down in front of her and then try to assemble and load her gun as fast as she could. Once she did, she would always smile and then take it apart, put all of the pieces down, and do it all over again. She was quick, he noticed. That'd definitely be to her advantage. And she'd need all the advantage she could get with her small stature. She was very lithe, which could perhaps also be to her advantage if she used it right. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to be very good at noticing things, for Tseng had been standing and watching her for the past couple of minutes. He knew he had a talent for sneaking up on people, but this time he hadn't even been trying. He doubted she'd turn and see him anytime soon, so he cleared his throat.

"If you try to go any faster, you might break it."

The girl jumped and spun around. Her eyes widened when she saw him. "Oh, I'm sorry Tseng—sir!" she blurted out quickly. "I wouldn't break it. I was just, uh, waiting for my trainer to come and—"

"Sorry to keep you waiting," he said. "I had some important business to take care of first."

"That's alright, but…" she blinked, confused. "You, sir?"

His brow furrowed. "I'm not quite sure I understand," he said.

The girl shifted. She was nervous. Now that she was turned towards him, he could see that she was young. Painfully young. It shouldn't bother him; he had been younger than her when he first joined the Turks, but there was something about the innocence of her face that put a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. At the same time, however, she had on a look of determination that Tseng knew well. It was the same look her sister got when she was faced with a difficult mission. If she was anything like her sister, this girl was in no way as innocent as she looked. The reports he had received confirmed this. She'd received high marks at the academy and had scored well on her preliminary tests. She was an excellent candidate for a Turk. Now, he only had to train her.

"I just didn't expect…you," she said.

He raised his eyebrows. "And why is that?"

Her cheeks turned a light pink. "Well, it's just that, you're the Director. I thought you'd have more important things to do than train a rookie."

He straightened. "I usually don't," he admitted. "But since you're going to be my new partner, I thought it best if I did."

The girl sucked in a breath, her eyes widening. "Your—your partner, sir?"

"Yes. That's why it's imperative that you train." He was surprised when Elena looked away and he saw the uncertain look on her face. "Is that a problem?" he asked, feeling more offended than he should have.

Her eyes widened again and she looked back at him. "No, sir! I just thought Rude would be my partner since Reno…"

"He's injured, not dead," Tseng said. "You'll be sent on missions with them as well, but if I am to have a partner, you will be accompanying me."

She bit the inside of her mouth. "Oh."

Tseng frowned a little. "If you'd prefer to work with someone else—"

"No, sir!" she rushed out. She smiled a little. "It's a privilege to work with you. I won't make you regret your decision."

She seemed excited now, her eyes shining with eagerness. Tseng wondered what had happened to this girl. From what he had heard, she hadn't wanted to become a Turk, despite the wishes of her father and the legacy of her sister. She'd hated them. Yet one day, she'd signed up and had been working to become one ever since. And here she was. Determination, he thought. Another trait that would do well for her.

"Whenever you're ready," he said, bringing up a target.

She nodded, reaching for the ammo in front of her and loading the gun. She aimed at the target, the gun gripped in both of her hands and fired. Her whole body jerked in rhythm as several loud bangs went off. When she had finished the whole clip, Tseng pulled the target up closer. He studied it and frowned.

"You should try to be more precise," he said, when he saw that the bullets she had fired had punctured the target but failed to hit their true mark. The girl looked embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, Tseng—sir," she added hastily at the end. "I just—"

"Elena," he said, cutting her off sternly, "You can't let your nervousness or any other emotion affect how you perform. As a Turk, you have to be at your best at all times. It could mean the difference between the life or death of you or your partner."

She nodded, looking subdued. "Yes, sir."

Tseng gave a nod and set up a new target. He gestured at it. "Try again."

Elena reloaded her gun. She paused a moment, studying the target before she raised her arms and aimed again. She fired until the clip was empty once more.

Tseng sighed a little. "Better, but you're still all over the place. Unless you're trying to keep the target alive, you should concentrate in the chest area. More precise shots will reduce the risk of them getting back up again."

"I'm sorry, sir," she said, again, looking down, ashamed. "It's just been a while since I've trained with guns."

Tseng paused. He was aware that she had switched from specialization in fire arms to martial arts when she was in school, something that had come as a shock to her family. Still, her performance was strange. She should be shooting much better than this, even if she wasn't specialized in it.

"I know," he said. "However, you received high marks when you did. The preliminary report also said that you still had an affinity toward it. Our instructor is rarely wrong."

Elena bit her lip again.

He considered things for a moment and then pulled up another target. "Try again."

She repeated the same process: reload, aim, shoot. At the end, Tseng still shook his head. "You're still holding back."

She looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Tseng walked up to her, ignoring the uncertain look that crossed over her face. He raised her arms. "Relax your shoulders," he said, pushing them down from the tense position they were in. He ran his hands down her arms, adjusting their position until her finally got to her hands. He placed his hands over hers, moving her fingers to grip the gun correctly. All the while, Elena stayed still. She didn't protest when he shifted her, but he could tell that she was holding her breath. She didn't let it out until he was done and had moved to stand behind her. He checked her stance one last time and nodded. "That's better. Now try."

She pulled the trigger. The bullet went straight through the chest.

"It worked!" she said, excitedly. She turned to look at him and smiled. "Thank you, sir."

Tseng's eyes met hers and for a moment he felt frozen as those warm, brown eyes looked at him, full of admiration as well as something else he wasn't entirely sure of. A strange feeling started to settle in his chest as he stared into them. It only deepened when he saw her blush again. Her eyes blinked and her gaze traveled down, settling around his chin. Tseng had the uncomfortable feeling that she was staring at his lips. He quickly stepped back away from her.

"You should practice for an hour or two," he said, turning his back to her and walking away slightly. "I'll be back later to see your progress."

"Yes, sir," she said.

Tseng nodded at her once and then left, ignoring the feeling that lingered in his chest.

When he left, he didn't look back, missing the happy look on Elena's face as she watched him walk away. She glanced back at the ammo in front of her and reloaded her gun. She held the gun in one hand and shot at the target across the room. She shook her head and smiled when she checked her work.

Her aim was perfect.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, there ya go. Hope you enjoyed. I just had to have a little bit of touchy Tseng. Because who wouldn't want Tseng touching all over them? (Especially Elena. Lol.) And I hope you got the ending. Elena wasn't as bad as a shooter as she made it out to be. I wonder why she did that? ;)<strong>

**Keep on blazing!**


End file.
